Royals Outstanding, Baseball Gets Back on Track Against Ferrum
Dark, Rodrigues go deep in support of career-best start from sophomore
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications at The Guilford College
FERRUM, Va. – Settling after a two-run first inning, Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) ended up putting together an outstanding performance and later, Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) hit a go-ahead two-run shot for the Guilford College baseball team (13-6, 3-5 ODAC) as they snapped their cold spell with an 8-5 victory over Ferrum College (12-10, 3-6 ODAC) at Panther Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The sophomore right-hander set career-highs for innings pitched and strikeouts on the day, completing 7.0 frames with eight whiffs, allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits and no walks. He picked up the win for the second-straight Tuesday to up his record to 2-0.
Panthers starter Tyler Mason was okay, leaving with the lead although he would not have qualified for the victory anyways. He tossed the first 4.1 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits, striking out two. It would be the litany of relievers that FC deployed that would be their undoing with Carter Liverman surrendering the advantage allowing two runs, both earned, on two hits across 0.2 innings to drop to 1-1.
Batting second for the first time in his collegiate career, Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) had a nice afternoon, reaching in three of his five plate appearances with two hits, including a solo homer, and a HBP, scoring twice. Rodrigues had the big-blow with his longball on a 2-of-5 day, scoring twice. Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) reached twice going 1-for-3 with a walk and a double, scoring once and driving in another and Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) matched his run production in a 1-of-4 game that included a base on balls.
Kyle Markowitz had a trio of hits, going 3-of-4 with a double and a steal for the home team but only scored once. Eli Elliott’s lone hit in four AB’s was a two-run double while Shawn Baxter and Seth Sharron each went 2-for-4 with an RBI as the later hit a double and scored a run for the Panthers.
After a clean top of the first, Ferrum got to Royals early. Carlos Castillo hit a one-out single and stole second before an RBI-double off the bat of Sharron and a run-scoring single by Baxter. Markowitz doubled putting two in scoring position still with just one out, but the Quakers’ righty shutdown the threat, fanning the next two men to limit FC to just two.
The Guilford offense scuffled the first trip through the lineup, but Dark got them on the board in the top of the fourth, leading off and driving a 2-1 offering just over the fence in straight-away right for his second home run of the season. The Panthers countered in the home half, though, as Markowitz singled, stole second, got third on miscommunication on a back-pick, and crossed the plate on a Jorge Olivo single, but Royals surrendered no further runs the rest of the way, setting down ten of the final 11 batters he faced including four by way of a K.
Getting a single run in the fifth when Rodrigues reached on a two-base error before advancing and then scoring on productive groundouts by Devin Tonkins (Greensboro, N.C.) and Blum, the Quaker offense seized control of the game in the sixth. Dark singled but then the first two outs were recorded although the second did advance him. Williams ensured he was not stranded, singling to even the score and taking second on a bad throw in. It would not matter what base he was standing on, however, as the Panthers made a change, bring on Steven Ritchie, and Rodrigues ambushed him, rudely clubbing the right-handers first pitch of the night over the fence in left to thrust GC in front 5-3.
Guilford added some insurance in the top of the ninth. Tonkins doubled down the line in left to open the frame and stole third following a Blum free pass before a wild pitch advanced both runners, with Tonkins scoring the team’s sixth run. Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) walked, Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) sacrificed both runners up, and Dark got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.). Held in check all day to that point, he came through with a single through the right side of the infield to plate a pair and make the tallies 8-3.
Meanwhile, Royals was doing his thing before giving the ball up to Jackson Marcellus (Chapel Hill, N.C.) for a flawless eighth. Ferrum did get two runs on an Elliot double in the bottom of the ninth against Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) in a non-save situation, but the fifth-year polished off the 8-5 win nonetheless.
The Quakers hope to bring the good vibes back with them to McBane Field tomorrow, March 26th, when they faceoff against Pfeiffer University for a non-conference, in-state showdown. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.
#GoQuakes